In the field of medical examination modalities, it is known to combine the imaging method of magnetic resonance (MR) tomography and another examination or therapeutic method in one examination modality.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,108,026 B2 describes a device including a combination of a magnetic resonance tomograph and a positron emission tomograph. A magnetic resonance (MR) radio frequency (RF) transmit-receive system of the MR tomograph and positron emission tomography (PET) detectors of the PET tomograph are arranged inside a primary magnet and a magnetic resonance gradient coils of the MR tomograph.
The device further comprises a support tube for the MR RF transmit-receive system. The support tube includes a sandwich structure that has an outer wall and an inner wall which are made of thin layers with high rigidity, respectively, and may be made from, for instance, glass fiber-reinforced epoxy resin. The sandwich structure further includes a central layer made of a material configured to resist an applied pressure, for instance a foam material such as polyurethane foam or a honeycomb-type material.
The device is described to obviate an attenuation of gamma radiation due to the support structures arranged inside a PET ring and to permit simultaneous PET and MR imaging and therefore faster scanning of a patient.